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U.S. Women Warriors Sent to Battle With Armor, Equipment Designed for Men

Teaser:

About 271,000 women have served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars over the past decade, making up almost 12 percent of the force, the Defense Department estimated. As a growing number are exposed to combat, women warriors pose new challenges for a military now more than 15 percent female. In a 2009 survey, most troops of both genders said the equipment used by women in war zones “was inadequate in some capacity,” according to a report by the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. Among the problems, the survey found, were “poor quality or outdated equipment, lack of necessary equipment, tardy issue of equipment, and equipment not sized or designed for women.”

Editorial:

From the article:

About 271,000 women have served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars over the past decade, making up almost 12 percent of the force, the Defense Department estimated. As a growing number are exposed to combat, women warriors pose new challenges for a military now more than 15 percent female.

In a 2009 survey, most troops of both genders said the equipment used by women in war zones “was inadequate in some capacity,” according to a report by the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. Among the problems, the survey found, were “poor quality or outdated equipment, lack of necessary equipment, tardy issue of equipment, and equipment not sized or designed for women.”

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For example, soldiers’ backpacks, which can weigh 60 pounds or more, could be altered for women so that more of the weight is carried on the hips and lower body instead of the shoulders, she said.

While the Army has made strides in some areas, it has acknowledged that work remains to be done. There is still no plan to issue body armor tailored for women. The Army is doing long-term research on the issue.

The Army has spent about $620,000 since 2009 to develop its first combat uniform for women, with shorter sleeves, lowered pockets, a shortened button fly and an elastic waistband to accommodate women’s hips, said Army spokeswoman Staci-Jill Burnley.